Extracorporeal shock wave therapy applied to chronic proximal plantar fasciitis

Abstract

Chronic plantar heel pain (CPHP) is present in about 20% of the population in clinics specialized in foot’s surgery. The point of more common pain is the insertion of the plantar fasciitis in the medial tubercle of the tuberosity plantar of the heel bone, being chronic proximal plantar fasciitis (CPPF) the diagnosis most common. Previous studies have demonstrated good resulted in the treatment of this pathology with the extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), however none used an objective method of evaluation of its results. Objective: To apply an objective and functional evaluation to prove the benefits of the extracorporeal shock wave therapy in chronic proximal plantar fasciitis treatment. Methods: The electrohydraulic generator was the equipment utilized. The treatment consisted of 1500 impulses, with energy of 0.35mJ/mm?2; being carried enters one to three sessions with intervals of 60 days. The procedure was repeated only in the patients who persisted with instance pain. As focal point, the point of bigger pain to the digit-pressure was considered. Anesthesia wasn’t administrated. Seventy patients had been treated, being that 50 had answered the standardized questionnaire. Of these, 17 were men and 33 women, with mean age of 57 years, 79,68 kg and time of pain of 22.87 months. Seven cases had been bilateral, that totalized 57 feet treat. Results: The time of accompaniment post-ESWT was of 19.14 months; 63% of patients had received an only application. In the subjective analysis, 80% were satisfied about the relief of pain. There was a significant increase in the AOFAS (American Orthopedics Foot and Ankle Society) score in 89.41% of the patients (pConclusion: The extracorporeal shock wave therapy is an alternative for the treatment of the chronic proximal plantar fasciitis.